A PLAYWRIGHT and her play picked up five top awards at Thurrock Drama Festival.

Carole Hayes, 46, received gongs for her one-act comedy, Just the Ticket.

It won Best Original Play out of 11 entries, and the Winner’s Cup.

It also received awards for best director, John White; best actress. Lisa Chapman; and best supporting actor, Luke Coldham.

The play had been nominated for nine awards.

Carole said: “I have won awards before, but never so many “The play is a comedy about a dysfunctional family whose batty grandmother has a winning lottery ticket, but keeps forgetting where it is. I was pleased with the awards. It takes me a while to think of the idea for a play and to then pad out how it will work.

“After that it takes about five to six weeks to write the dialogue.”

Carol, a personal assistant, of Trinity Road, Southend, is a member of amateur dramatics group the East Essex Players and has written eight plays before.

The winning performance was put on by Thurrock Courts Players at the Thameside Theatre, Grays.